North Melbourne goalsneak Lindsay Thomas faces a nervous wait with the match review panel after flooring Collingwood's Ben Reid with a big bump.
Kangaroo midfielder Lindsay Thomas celebrates a goal in the first quarter. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun
Ben Reid leaves the field after his collision with Lindsay Thomas. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun
AFL match review panel chairman Mark Fraser says players will not be suspended for accidental head clashes this season.
Fraser said the shift in policy was made clear last season after Chris Dawes, then at Collingwood, and Brisbane's Matt Maguire were found guilty of rough conduct.
"Accidental contact in that regard, like a head clash, yeah, we will not be charging them,'' Fraser said.
The clarification from Fraser follows confusion over why North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas wasn't charged after a heavy bump that forced Collingwood defender Ben Reid to be subbed out of the game at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Thomas today said he made a split-second decision to shepherd Reid and the pair accidentally clashed heads, with Reid forced from the field with a bloodied mouth.
The clash sparked a war of words between opposing coaches after the match, with Collingwood's Nathan Buckley describing Thomas's bump as an "average" act."A head clash is deemed a complete accident. The only time it wouldn't be was if Thomas had jumped into the air, into the contest,'' Fraser said.
"In fact, we would expect someone would know if they had come into contact with the head. So if there's a head clash where someone jumps into the air with a bump, then that would be a potentially chargeable offence.
"It was changed last year. There has been a similar incident occur where a head clash has caused some major trauma. So, we don't think this is any different.
"If he (Thomas) had of contacted him with a shoulder to the head, then that would've been viewed differently.
"You can see the ball going away from Reid and Thomas comes in to make a block. He doesn't leave the ground in making the shepherd and there was an unfortunate clash of heads.
"The clash of heads was deemed as circumstances outside of the player's control.
"It was all changed in 2012 after a couple of players, Chris Dawes and Maguire received penalties for head clashes in 2011.
"Last year there was a similar bumping collision between (Jeremy) Cameron and (Charlie) Dixon ... and unfortunately Dixon received a broken jaw. Cameron got let off that because it was a clash of heads.
"We didn't believe Thomas meant for that to occur, so he wasn't charged.''
Fraser said players still had to be careful not to hurt opponents in contests for the ball.
"He certainly does have a duty of care, but we don't deem that that duty of care has been breached by a head clash. We don't think that players go into a contest where they're thinking a head clash is going to occur and obviously that does damage to both players.''
Fraser said the Thomas decision would help everyone understand the ruling.
"People are clearer on the situation,'' he said.
North Melbourne V Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, 31/3/13. Clash of heads between Ben Reid and Lindsay Thomas saw Reid off with a bloody mouth and players in a scuffle after Scott Pendlebury tested Lindsay Thomas's Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
Thomas said he was "dazed" by the head clash.
"Yeah, it was one of those unfortunate things I guess," Thomas told North Melbourne's website.
"I saw Lachie Hansen running onto the footy and I was kind of running towards him - probably the last split decision I made was to shepherd Ben Reid.
"We collided heads. It was just one of those unfortunate things. We both hit heads, and we both went down."
Thomas admitted he feared that he might be suspended after watching a replay of the incident.
"I didn't really think about it too much after the game," he said.
"I thought there wasn't really much in it but after looking at it yesterday, I did think I was in a bit of strife.
"I'm just happy that I don't have to miss any games of footy."
He dismissed suggestions he had faked his response after the two players went down.
"Unfortunately for him (Reid), he didn't come back on, he was knocked out," he said.
"I came off with a pretty sore cheek and look, I'm just happy that he's all right.
"I hoped he was okay. Like I said, it was just an accident and in terms of 'heat of the moment', it got a bit heated there towards the end but that's footy. After the game we all shook hands and got on with it."
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